All's Fair
by charlibubble
Summary: "Everything is work related" Grissom declared. Sara sighed inwardly. It had been naïve of her to assume otherwise. This was Grissom, of course everything was work related. My entry to the CSIFO August Challenge.


_My Humble entry to the CSIFO August Challenge - not a member? you should be! CSIFOREVER online... check us out :-)_

_Your challenge for August. This is a drabble contest... _

_1000 words or less._

_ Sara or Grissom reveals to the other something about one of their past relationships..._

_ must contain the phrase "I never told you this but..."_

_ Deadline Aug 31._

_ Have fun!_

_A/N: I entirely blame CSILasVegasRocks for tormenting me for weeks by extending a personal challenge on this. I may have to write more Modges as punishment! and HUGE grateful hugs and slobbers have to go to my dear sweet lovely (crazy) Otie for reading my many, many rubbish attempts and offering me her criticism and honesty - I appreciate it millions :)  
so, its kinda a first date... set in some time in the past that I am choosing to be vague about since I have no idea... hey it wrote itself... at 4am After 7 attempts. You know I love me a review ;o)  
enjoy!  
Love Charli xxx_

* * *

Grissom guided Sara into the restaurant with a reassuring smile, her eyes immediately drinking in every detail of the space from the set-up of the cutlery to the ceiling fans.

"Have you ever been here before?" Sara asked, noticing the familiarity of the waitresses and staff as they were led to their seats.

"I may have" nodded Grissom, not giving anything away. Her frown and narrowed eyes entertained him a lot more than he would let her know "I like the shrimp"

"Shrimp?" Sara questioned with raised eyebrows, smoothing out her blouse and resting her hands on the white linen tablecloth. This was a nice place, although it didn't look it from the outside. It was basically a warehouse on the side of a marina.

"Yes. It's good for your heart" Grissom nodded, catching her eye across the table.

His eyes sparkled with amusement, waiting for her to pipe up with her typical arguments regarding so called 'super foods', she decided not to give him the satisfaction.

"Right" she stated, sitting back in her seat.

"What about you?" Grissom's eyes burned into her never leaving hers for more than a second as she sat across from him.

"What about me?" she returned, feeling strangely defensive.

The waiter introduced himself, taking their drinks order with a grateful nod and stepping away. Grissom ordered for them both, the house white soon taking pride of place on the table as he poured two glasses.

"Have you been here before?" he continued, passing her a glass with a smile.

Sara took a sip, keeping her eyes trained on him as the dim lighting added a romantic ambiance to the evening.

"What do you think?" Sara retaliated, placing her glass on the table with a smirk.

"You're not a fan of shrimp?" Grissom nodded, sitting back in his chair as he pretended to scan the menu.

"I don't eat food with eyes" Sara explained.

Grissom seemed to ponder this for a second before taking a long sip of his drink and leaning forward.

"What about black eye peas?" his eyes danced in the light, his lips curling into a soft smile.

"Very funny" Sara deadpanned realising he was in a playful mood tonight in contrast to her slightly irate mood. She snatched the bottle of wine refilling her glass to the brim and nodding her head towards him as she raised it to her lips.

"I've been here with Catherine" Grissom explained, making her heart stop in her chest. He was never a man who over shared. In face learning anything about Grissom's private life was a miracle. She had never expected his private life to include their co-worker.

"Catherine? Really?" she tried to keep her voice calm and failed miserably as it turned into a high pitched squeak.

"Yeah, I never told you this but she and I…."

Sara interrupted him realising that if she had to listen to his confession's she would rather they didn't involve Catherine… or any woman for that matter.

"I don't want to know Grissom…"

"We worked on a case out here" he finally admitted, smiling a wicked smile in her direction.

"A case?" she exhaled, a feeling of relief washing over her.

Grissom examined her carefully much like he would a specimen under a jar. His eyes were always so intense, always calculating, always 2 steps ahead of everyone else.

"Yes… why? What did you think I was going to say?"

Unless of course it wasn't logic related, in which case he was normally 10 steps behind.

"I dunno… something…not work related" Sara shrugged, her attempt at suppressing the smile on her lips failing.

"Everything is work related" Grissom declared.

Sara sighed inwardly. It had been naïve of her to assume otherwise. This was Grissom, of course everything was work related.

"Apparently so" she huffed, another sip of wine burning her throat.

Grissom frowned slightly, unsure what to make of the shift in mood.

"Apart from this" he muttered.

Sara's eyes shot to his immediately, the questions she wanted to ask burning in the pupils but disappearing on her lips.

"This?" was all she could manage with a nervous cough to clear her throat.

"Yes. This isn't work related" he nodded, apparently very certain of this fact.

Sara still wondering what was going on shook her head.

"It isn't?" she questioned.

"No" was his only answer. Grissom was, as always decisive, in control and yet completely vague and confusing at the same time.

"Ok" she declared simply.

Grissom froze for a moment, watching her.

"Is that ok?" he asked.

"Of course" Sara smiled, raising her glass to his, the sound of the glass meeting echoing around them.

"So you haven't been here before?" Grissom pressed.

"Well… I may have been here once before" she admitted, glancing around once more.

"Really?"

"Yes. With Hank." Sara reluctantly explained.

Grissom's eyes dropped to the table, the subject of her ex was clearly not a comfortable one for him.

"I see" he muttered into his glass.

"It didn't go well" Sara smiled. His discomfort was endearing.

"No?" he responded a little too keenly.

"No… we weren't very well matched"

Grissom nodded, thinking about how he could have told her that all along.

"He didn't order the shrimp did he?" he smiled.

"No" she laughed.

"Good. What did he order?"

Sara frowned at the strange question.

"How should I know?" she asked, pursing her lips.

"I don't know. I thought it would be something you remembered" Grissom shrugged.

"I'll remember what you ordered" Sara smiled, tilting her head to meet his eye again.

"Why?" he asked with a frown, topping up her wine glass.

"Because it's the shrimp right?" Sara smiled.

"Yes. How did you know?" Grissom declared feigning surprise.

Sara shrugged, settling into their playful conversation as she smiled across at him.

"Call it a hunch"


End file.
